Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a system and method for parking meters. More specifically, the present invention relates to a system and method for a multi-space parking meter that differentiates between ordinary parking spaces and premium parking spaces, for example at which electric vehicles may charge.
Description of the Prior Art
There are a growing number of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) and plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) on the roads of the world. For the sake of this discussion we refer to all of these vehicles simply as electric vehicles, or EVs. This growing population of EVs will require a rich charging environment, allowing them to plug in and charge under various conditions and times and places during the night and day.
Several companies have begun to supply charging site infrastructure for EVs. These companies are providing their own infrastructure for metering, timing, and billing their customers. These companies often revenue share with city government or private parking lot owners.
EV charging is intrinsically tied to parking: other than hybrid-electric vehicles, EVs must be parked to be charged, and even PHEVs exhibit better economy and a lower carbon footprint when charged from the plug rather than from their fuel-driven generator.
A change occurring in the parking meter industry is being driven by the high cost of infrastructure and the need for more efficient ways to designate, control, and enforce metered parking spaces. This change is a move away from single-space (i.e., one meter per parking space) to multi-space metered parking. “Multi-space” is a general industry term designating as few as one, but often several strategically located payment centers or kiosks, each kiosk serving multiple parking spaces in its proximity, perhaps redundantly.
There are two basic methods currently employed for using a central kiosk-based, multi-space system: one is “pay-by-space” and the other is “pay-and-display”.
Pay-by-space parking requires each parking space to have a unique, corresponding number. A customer parks a vehicle in a parking space, notes the number of the parking space, and proceeds immediately to a nearby payment kiosk. At the kiosk, the customer is asked to input the number of the parking space, select an amount of time required, and then pay an appropriate fee, typically using any of several payment methods, including credit card. The customer does not need to return to the vehicle to display a receipt. With pay-by-space, parking enforcement officers can visit the kiosk or otherwise (e.g., though a wireless connection) obtain from the kiosk a list of spaces that should be empty. Vehicles inappropriately occupying a space that should be empty may be ticketed.
Pay-and-display parking does not require parking spaces to be numbered. Instead, a customer parks a vehicle in a parking space and proceeds immediately to a nearby payment kiosk. The customer selects only the amount of time required and pays an appropriate fee, choosing from several payment options as with pay-by-space. The customer is issued a receipt that is date and time stamped and indicates the amount of time purchased. More specifically, the receipt indicates when the amount of time purchased will expire. However, since the kiosk is unaware of which space is being used, the customer must return to the vehicle and leave the receipt on the dashboard so that it is clearly displayed through the windshield. With pay-and-display, parking enforcement officers do not need to visit the kiosk, but instead simply look for and ticket vehicles having either no receipt, or whose receipt has expired.